In an interview to be published in a special section in the July/August edition of Paper360°, PEERS 2018 Conference Chairman Mark LeBel, Andritz, discussed the overall technical content for this year’s program. Here is a sneak peek:

Q. As the PEERS 2018 program was being developed, what were the goals in terms of education and real-world applications?

Mark LeBel: We specifically conducted an Ambassador program where volunteers and TAPPI staff met with a number of mills. The meetings were focused on what mill management/staff felt were topics of specific importance to them and soliciting tangible returns on investment that could be brought back to the workplace.

We also discussed how PEERS can serve as a training tool for mill personnel. This year, we are excited to offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs). The feedback was that this would be helpful to all employees attending – but particularly those with professional engineering licenses.

Q: Can you share which topics/tracks you feel will be most impactful to management/mill workers?

Mark LeBel: All of them, of course! Our goal is for the program to be beneficial to as many mill people as possible. The workshops provide practical information on topics integral to successful mill operations and best practices.

We also have a number of panel discussions planned for mill personnel to share their knowledge and experiences, such as chip quality issues specific to the Pacific Northwest, and how advanced automation projects can improve mill bottom line outcomes.

Be sure to read the whole interview when the July/August Paper360° arrives in the mail.